A practical fire roll-call process for staff and visitors

Apply the rules for your location

For schools in Germany, the Workplace Ordinance requires escape routes and emergency exits to remain usable. Where the location, size or use of a workplace makes an escape and rescue plan necessary, drills must take place at reasonable intervals.

BAuA Technical Rule ASR A2.3 provides detailed guidance for escape routes and emergency exits. At European Union level, Directives 89/391/EEC and 89/654/EEC establish the framework for evacuation arrangements, designated workers, emergency routes and workplace fire safety. State rules, school requirements and the school's own risk assessment may add further duties.

UK guidance remains useful for schools operating there and as an additional operational reference. It does not replace the German or European rules that apply to a school in Germany.

Define who is being accounted for

Separate people expected on site from people confirmed on site. Staff schedules help explain who should be working, while clock records and visitor sign-in provide the operational presence picture. Include contractors, volunteers, supply staff and guests according to the school plan.

Student accountability will usually follow class registers and the school's evacuation procedure. Keep that responsibility clear instead of mixing it into an unstructured whole-site list.

Assign roles before the alarm

Name who initiates the roll call, who checks each group, who receives warden reports and who communicates missing-person information to the incident lead. Provide deputies for absence and cover each campus or assembly point.

• Reception brings or accesses the visitor and contractor list.
• Department or zone leads account for staff assigned to them.
• Wardens report cleared areas without re-entering.
• One incident lead consolidates unaccounted people and passes information to emergency services.

Take a snapshot, then record outcomes

When the event starts, preserve a snapshot of the known presence state. Mark people accounted for, known off site or unaccounted for. Keep changes attributable so the post-event record shows what was known and when.

A self-reporting option can add useful information, but it should not silently remove someone from the roll call. The responsible person still needs a clear view of confirmations and exceptions.

Prepare for unavailable systems

Assume reception equipment, Wi-Fi or power may be unavailable. Decide how a recent list is accessed from another device and what printed or manual fallback is maintained. Protect emergency access so that only appropriate staff can see personal information.

Never require staff to return to reception or another building to retrieve a list. Equipment and processes should support the evacuation route.

Drill the information flow

A drill should test more than walking to the assembly point. Include a signed-in visitor, a staff member temporarily off site and a contractor in an unfamiliar area. Time how long it takes to identify exceptions and pass them to the incident lead.

Debrief promptly. Record communication difficulties, inaccurate presence records, accessibility issues and unclear responsibilities. Assign each action to an owner and test the change at the next drill.